Did you see watch last week’s episode of Call the Midwife? I’d been looking forward to it because I knew that Sarah Gordy, an actress with Down syndrome, appeared in the episode. I was a little wary of the treatment of her character and of the storyline, fearing the message that would be portrayed. In fact, I had nothing to be afraid of – the episode was masterfully done.
I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say this: three of the characters in the episode are disabled (Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and a young boy with polio who, coincidentally, goes to a gait clinic during the episode, making all three people I could connect with). The episode didn’t shrink from hard questions, didn’t paint anyone as pure saint or pure sinner, and didn’t fall back on dreadful cliches’ or heavy-handed advocacy. It was just beautiful.
Check it out here.
I noticed something odd when we were out and about with Sarah Kate in her casts. People treated her like she’s “normal” rather than disabled. Strangers appear to assume that something happened (i.e., she broke her legs rollerblading or something) and they reacted as such – the “looks” she got were also different.
On Monday evening, we found ourselves back at Moe’s (my dad keeps telling Sarah Kate she can pick anywhere she wants to eat before each procedure, which means we’ve been to Moe’s Every. Time.) In the parking lot, we parked next to a family – two adults with their two adult children – and both of the adult children had Down syndrome.
As I was preparing to unload Sarah Kate from the car, I spoke to the mom, who was sitting in the car with her window rolled down while the others walked somewhere I didn’t make note of. We exchanged pleasantries and she told me that her daughter and son were 32 and 29 years old, respectively. I (rudely, I know) inquired as to whether they were both her natural children or if one or both were adopted (they weren’t). Then she said, “One in a million odds, right?”
Yep.
You know what the most ridiculous thing stressing me out right now is? THANK YOU NOTES. I have a running list of thank you notes I need to write and send, but just the thought of it paralyzes me. A number of people brought us meals, not to mention the many, many, (MANY!) gifts, flowers, and cards Sarah Kate has received (and we even got a few meals when I had my minor surgery just before hers).
These thank you notes are currently the bane of my existence. Not only do I want to crawl into a closet and hide at the prospect of tackling that list, but I feel tremendous guilt that I haven’t gotten to it already.
So if you are on the list, please know that I really do appreciate you. I just might not show it for awhile. 🙂
I guess I’m semi-obligated to talk about Caleb Johnson, huh? I think I’ll pass. He’s not worth it. But Ellen said some good things, so go read what she had to say.
I’d rather talk about fellow Alabama native Jessica Meuse. I don’t watch American Idol, like, ever, but my dad and stepmom do so when we were at their house a few weeks ago we watched it with them. It was the night that Jessica Meuse sang “Jolene” and I thought it was great – and a brave song choice. Let’s face it, you’re risking a lot to go out and sing a classic by a legend. If she sang it Dolly-style, she’d be criticized for copying Dolly or not being original enough or whatever, but if she put her own spin on it, people could react negatively for not being enough like Dolly. Lose-lose, but she won.
Unfortunately, I hear her luck ran out this week. 🙁
Two firsts in Nathan’s preschool folder on Thursday: he played with friends (rather than “around” them – though there weren’t any friends to play with until very recently since he was the only kid in the class…), and he was put in time out. I didn’t see the time out coming, but I’m not surprised at all. He’s been pretty terrible ever since we got back from Birmingham on Wednesday night. Attention-seeking, I guess?
Have a great weekend!
This post was inspired by and is linked to Conversion Diary‘s 7 Quick Takes.
Interesting snippets! I have final exams to study for, so I can’t write as much as I’d like…but I’d just like to say that Snippet #2 really resonated with me! When I was in eighth grade, I slipped on some water at school and broke my femur in a really bad spot. I had to get emergency surgery on it and wasn’t allowed to weight-bear at all for 3 months. I noticed the same thing you did…when I was in the wheelchair, people didn’t look at me as if I was someone with a disability, and it was a really odd experience! I never knew quite what to say when people asked me why I was in a wheelchair . . . do I just mention the broken leg/surgery, or should I bring up my CP? (:
So I know just what you mean!
I’ve had people treat me as “normal” after surgeries, too, and it’s always kind of thrown me for a loop. Like you said, many people just assumed I had broken my legs or was in a car accident or something, and treated me more with outright concern rather than the “pity stare”/ furtive glances at my legs that I was used to. It also made explaining things kind of awkward, because many people were expecting to hear an “accident” story, but saying, “I had surgery” doesn’t really satisfy their curiosity. It’s interesting how “normal” accidents are more commonly accepted in society, but disabilities are not.
I’ve been reading for a long time and I am a HUGE Call the Midwife fan! I 100% thought of your family when Timmy was at the gait clinic! You’re an educator to us all!
Happy Friday!
Thanks, Andrea! I love, love, love CtM! That was one of the best episodes yet.
K & N – I’m relieved to hear that both of you have had the same experience. A little piece of me wondered if maybe I was being too sensitive, but it wasn’t something I was looking for, so I didn’t think so. Of course, on the other hand … I kinda hate to be right in this instance. 🙁
Thank you notes stress me out, too.
But! I have a system. I carry thank you notes (and envelopes) in my purse. That way, when I’m in a line at the drive through or waiting at the doctor’s office, or even if my hubby is talking to his buddies when I come to pick him up, I can write out a quick thank you. And since I’m not doing them all at one time, it’s not so overwhelming!
Andi i doubt that there is a single person out there expecting or wondering why they haven’t gotten a thank-you note. Anyone who knows what’s going on and sent or did something food that because they know how much your wonderful family has going on right now. Don’t stress the little stuff like the notes – take care of the important things like you, Mr. Andi, SK & N. <3
Gah! That’s supposed to say “did that” not “food that”. Stupid phone!
I’ve been catching up on all my blogs so this is late and probably moot by now… But if it comes up again in the future, I think a nice alternative to thank you notes is to host an inexpensive and informal get together to thank people (after life gets back to normal, of course). Send an evite – you’re all invited for cake and ice cream, or something of that nature… Then you get the pleasure of seeing your loved ones and thanking them in person. It still takes effort but perhaps with a better payoff. Well… Hope you are all doing well. You’ve had a busy few months.
I so wish I could do something like that, but over half (probably way more than half) of the people who need to be thanked don’t live close enough to visit!